World

Hagel reminds Iran that threat of force still an option

Manama, Bahrain -- Defense Secretary Defense Chuck Hagel on board the USS Ponce, just 120 miles
off the coast of Iran, told servicemembers that the threat of U.S.
military force still exists even though the Obama administration is pursuing a six-month long diplomatic process with Iran to freeze its nuclear program.

Iran was topic number one during a question
and answer session with the Defense Secretary. Petty Officer 1st
Class Maurice Hill, asked Hagel whether the U.S. would now downgrade in military
protection.

“We are not going
to change any of our military posture in this area during that six-month
period,” Hagel said in reference to the six-month-long interim agreement. “We will keep the same kind of strong assets,
the same exercises, the same partnerships, the same focus on our strategic
interests as we did before we entered into this six month period.”

Iran has not made any observable change to its military
posture either, according to U.S. Navy officials aboard the vessel. The two
officials told reporters that Iran maintains the same number of ships and
servicemembers in the Persian Gulf as they did previous to the diplomatic deal that was
signed just under two weeks ago. Under that interim agreement, Iran agreed to freeze
its nuclear program in exchange for limited financial sanctions relief.

Hagel said the Obama administration understands “very clearly the
dangers that Iran represents and has represented” but went on to defend the
decision to negotiate as a way to “probe” whether it is possible to resolve
differences through diplomacy. The administration argues that it was the
threat of military pressure and financial sanctions that made diplomacy
possible. Without maintaining the pressure, Iran does not have the incentives
to move down the diplomatic path.

“So make no mistake, this is not an exercise based on
folly, this is very clear-eyed real and difficult engagement,” he said. “But in the interim you can be
sure the United States of America will not change any of its force posture, its
force protection or any of its relationships with our partners here."

Hagel is likely to repeat that line a lot over the next
few days here in Bahrain as he meets with the Saudi deputy defense minister,
the King and Crown Prince of Bahrain, the UAE foreign minister and others.
While the military standoff continues alongside the diplomacy, there are a lot
of questions being raised by U.S. allies in the region who wonder whether the
Obama administration lacks the will to actually use the significant weapons
hardware that it has positioned in Iran’s backyard.

Senior defense officials say that Hagel made this trip at
what they acknowledge is a “critical time” in order to “look directly into the
eyes of his counterparts” and to reassure those nervous allies that the U.S.
will still defend them against Iran. While those officials would not
unequivocally say that the U.S. will refrain from adding to its military
presence in the region, they did point out that the U.S. will continue to be a major provider of
weapons systems to its allies who sit in close proximity to Iran. The U.S. has
already sold over $81 billion in weapons systems to the region over the past
seven years. Defense officials traveling with Hagel say that he will encourage
those regional allies to increase their own military cooperation and regional
integration.

A Scan Eagle drone sits on the deck of the USS Ponce, on December 6, 2013 in Manama, Bahrain.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

Before addressing the servicemembers, Hagel toured the USS Ponce, which is the first floating military integrated command and staging base in the
Persian Gulf. Currently docked in Manama, Bahrain, the ship is equipped with mine
hunting helicopters, aerial drones and unmanned underwater drones. It can also
embark and support special operations units. By next year, it will be outfitted
with a short-range laser system that can shoot down incoming fire. That system
is currently under technical review and evaluation, according to a U.S. Navy
official who declined to detail the range of interception due to security
concerns.

The mobile base is meant to be a physical reminder to the
region and to Iran that the U.S. will use force if necessary. In addition, the
U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet and Centcom is headquartered in Bahrain. The U.S.
military presence extends beyond that as well. In the coming days, Hagel will
visit nearby Qatar which is home to an Air Force base.